Police commissioner trends with calls for his resignation

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is facing thousands of calls for his resignation for comments he made about the murder of Sarah Everard.

Philip Allott told the BBC today that women “need to be streetwise” about police powers and that Ms Everard should “never have submitted to arrest”.

Mr Allott initially defended his comments by saying he was not blaming the victim on Twitter before he deleted the Tweet and apologised.

However, his apology has not stemmed a tide of fury on Twitter. More than a thousand people commented on his apology in under an hour.

These comments are completely obscene. It is victim blaming 101.

The onus should never be on women to change their behaviour, but on men, our institutions and society to reform. https://t.co/U8SThWM6tb

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 1, 2021

These comments are appalling. It’s not up to women to fix this. It’s not us who need to change. The problem is male violence, not women’s ‘failure’ to find ever more inventive ways to protect ourselves against it. For change to happen, this needs to be accepted by everyone. https://t.co/8oC2c5U9Pj

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 1, 2021

This idiot needs to be fired. Immediately. https://t.co/tNgeEluFWf

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 1, 2021

The police are telling women that women are responsible for whether or not they are attacked or murdered by the police https://t.co/TS8IAtObuY

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) October 1, 2021

Since then “Philip Allott” has become number one trending in the UK, “Resign” is number seven trending and “Police Commissioner” is number eight trending.

Labour leader Kier Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, and TV personality Piers Morgan were among those expressing anger about Mr Allott’s comments.

The Stray Ferret asked if he would consider his position, Mr Allott said:

“No, I’m not. I have got a great record in protecting women. It was one of my campaign pledges.”

Mr Allott’s comments come as murderer Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, had falsely arrested 33-year-old Ms Everard in order to abduct her.

Couzens was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey yesterday

Read more:

 

More weather stations give North Yorkshire ‘best coverage in UK’

North Yorkshire County Council has installed a further ten weather stations to give the area what it claims to be the best coverage in the UK.

Two of the ten stations are based in the Harrogate district on the B6265 Greenhow near Pateley Bridge and the B6267 Low Burton near Masham.

The rest are based elsewhere in the county, including remote area such as the B6255 Ribblehead and the A6068 at Cowling Moss.

All of the new sites are equipped with solar powered cameras that will display images on the county council’s website here.

Read more:

Until now highways officers have not been able to use solar power, but technologies have improved over the past few years.

Weather stations can help drivers and decision makers to determine quickly changing conditions on some of the highest and most exposed roads in the country.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Highways said:

“This is a great step forward. This state-of-the-art equipment allows us to have invaluable, up-to-the-minute information about the state of our roads across some of our highest roads.

“Our winter gritting fleet works highly effectively throughout the winter, but despite our best efforts the weather can change dramatically for the worst in these remote routes.

“So accurate information about road conditions is essential to inform and keep the travelling public as safe as possible.

“With the data and images provided by these weather stations we hope the public will be able to make more informed, safer, journey choices during the winter period.”

Granby Farm 95 homes move closer as developer buys land

The construction of 95 homes on Granby Farm has moved a step closer after a housing developer bought the land.

Richborough Estates had worked with developer Redrow Homes to apply for planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council approved the plans in April 2021 despite complaints from residents that it would result in the loss of the last remaining link between the Stray and countryside.

It also faced complaints from residents of Redrow’s Devonshire Gardens who did not appreciate how the plans would see a street built over park Pickering Gardens.

Now it has permission, Redrow Homes has officially bought the 10.1 acre land from Richborough Estates.

The Stray Ferret asked both Redrow Homes and Richborough Estates how much the land was bought for but we received no reply by the time of writing.

Read more:

The plans for 95 homes will include a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.

Workers have already started preparing the land for the development, which is to be known as Granby Meadows.

Jonathan Bloor, managing director of Richborough Estates’ Western Division, said:

“We’re delighted to have completed this sale to Redrow just months after they purchased our 18-acre residential site at nearby Kingsley Road.

“I’d like to congratulate our team for their huge commitment in bringing forward this former grazing paddock as a prime site for much-needed new homes.

“The project began in 2015 and has involved input from our planning, design and technical divisions as well as extensive stakeholder discussion and consultation.

“We’re now really looking forward to see construction getting underway and the new homes coming to life.”

John Handley, managing director of Redrow Yorkshire, said

“Redrow is delighted to have completed the purchase of this fantastic site in the heart of Harrogate, continuing our commitment to delivering high quality new homes in the town.

“We hope to have the first homes on sale off-plan early next year, closely followed by the first of the 146 homes planned for Kingsley Road.

‘Ambitious plans’ for new Knaresborough leisure centre revealed

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed how its proposed new multi-million pound leisure centre in Knaresborough will look.

The council plans to build the new facility on the site of Knaresborough Pool on King James Road by spring 2023.

The new centre will have a six-lane, 25-metre pool, learner pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio and spin studio.

Designs also show that it will have a café, electric car charging points, bicycle storage and a large play area.

The council has said it would prefer to build the centre towards the rear of the existing pool, where the play park is currently located, rather than build on Fysche field.

Knaresborough Pool would remain open throughout construction. When the new building opens, the council would demolish the existing pool and create a new play area in its place.

An aerial view of the plans.

However, the council is keeping the option of building on Fysche field on the table as “option B” under the plans.

If the council went ahead with building on Fysche field then it would create a new green space in place of Knaresborough Pool.

Some Knaresborough people are concerned Fysche field and the adjoining children’s playground area could be lost and have a launched a campaign to “protect central Knaresborough’s only recreational green space from being concreted over”.

Share your views on the Knaresborough leisure centre plans

The council has now asked for residents to share their views online ahead of a formal planning application. It will also host an in-person consultation at Knaresborough Pool on October 6 between 5pm and 8pm.

Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“We have ambitious plans to reduce the proportion of the population that are physically inactive but we can’t do this without investing in our facilities.

“This multi-million pound investment for Knaresborough will create a 21st century facility that provides fantastic opportunities for local people to move more, live well and feel great.

“Along with our new facility in Ripon and the redevelopment of the Hydro in Harrogate, as well as the districts other great leisure centres and pools, I hope people feel motivated, supported and inspired to stay active.”

Read more:

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, said:

“Through the provision of fantastic modern leisure and wellness facilities and engaging, inclusive services we will be able to help many more people become active, lead healthier lifestyles and therefore live longer, more independent and happier lives.”

James Foley, commercial director for Alliance Leisure Services, said:

“The proposed transformation for Knaresborough has the capability to create a hugely positive impact within the community for generations to come.”

Backlash over search for locations

The current site was one of four options, along with Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park under consideration for the new leisure centre last year.

The council faced a backlash for considering Grade II* listed Conyngham Hall, with Knaresborough Civic Society among those opposing the move.

A Hands Off Conyngham Hall Grounds petition by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats attracted more than 1,600 signatures.

Driver shortage causes bus cancellations in Harrogate district

A Harrogate district bus company has said a shortage of drivers has forced it to cancel “a small number” of services.

Transdev, which operates the Harrogate Bus Company, said in a statement today is has 95 trainee drivers waiting to get out on the roads.

It said the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which conducts tests, was taking three times longer than usual to confirm test dates and provide licences.

Read more:

Transdev has said it has been forced to cancel 0.8% of services for the Harrogate Bus Company as a result.

Delays to drive training is a national problem. The Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned that the delays have caused a shortage of 4,000 drivers.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of Transdev, said:

“We understand entirely how frustrating it is when journeys are cancelled, and it’s the last thing we want to do.

“Right now, we have 95 new colleagues at The Academy, our in-house driver training facility in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

“They just want to be out on the road serving our customers – but instead, they’re waiting over three times longer than usual to get licences

“Most of our buses are running as normal and we are attracting new drivers, so the current delays to licensing and testing are very frustrating.”

Transdev has asked the government to speed up the licence application process and free up the availability of theory and practical tests.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you on this rainy Thursday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

We are already seeing congestion on the A59 York Road between Harrogate and York this morning. Our system shows that workers are carrying out repairs in the area, which should be complete by late Friday/early Saturday.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Fuel Watch: Harrogate district fuel problems persist

Fuel stations are trying to get back to normality across the Harrogate district amid reports that the crisis is slowing down.

Some forecourts remain closed but many are back up and running across the area. So we have created this live blog to help those in need find fuel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

645pm – Reports of two stations open

Esso on Wetherby Road in Harrogate is open and we also hear the Texaco in Kirk Hammerton is operating but some pumps are not available.

3.50pm – Esso on Harrogate’s Skipton Road closed

Thanks to Ian for telling us the Esso garage on Skipton Road has closed.

Is the fuel supply issue easing today? The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents filling stations, says there are “early signs” of pressure at the pumps easing.

But Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association says “the situation is not getting better”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says soldiers could be driving fuel tankers “in the next couple of days”.

2.15pm – No queues at Morrisons in Boroughbridge

A reader tells us that Morrisons in Boroughbridge has plenty of all fuel and there are no queues. This is a key site for many motorists in the Harrogate district and has been the scene of lengthy queues in recent days. A sign of things getting back to normal?

Send us your updates from forecourts in Harrogate, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and anywhere in between.

1.20pm – Harrogate fuel stations working well

Our reporter has been out and about once again to get a view from the fuel stations across the town. There have been deliveries but some places have since run out of fuel.

12pm – BP in Harrogate set to reopen after delivery

A tanker has arrived at the BP fuel station on Leeds Road, Harrogate to replenish the supplies of petrol and diesel.

The station had been closed for the past couple of days but should be ready for drivers to fill up at around 1pm.

A tanker has arrived.

10.30am – Boroughbridge Morrisons fuel station refills

Boroughbridge’s Morrisons fuel station is now back open after running out of petrol and diesel yesterday afternoon at around 3pm.

A reader contacted us to say that it was not busy and all of the petrol and diesel pumps were in operation.

10am – Just one fuel station out in Ripon

The Spar BP petrol station on North Street is awaiting a delivery later today, but is currently without diesel or unleaded petrol.

Both of the Morrisons petrol stations, on Harrogate Road and on the supermarket site, have all pumps in operation serving diesel and unleaded fuels.

Photo of BP pumps at Spar

Pumps at the BP Spar station.

 

Harrogate’s Horticap opens revamped free nature trail

A Harrogate nursery has reopened its free nature trail this week after a nine-month refurbishment of the grounds.

Horticap, which is based at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries on Otley Road, is a charity that provides adults with learning and other disabilities training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.

Parts of the trail were badly churned during construction of a new tearoom and shop at Horticap, which opened earlier this year in June.

The Hopkins at Horticap cafe is named in honour of former Horticap student Peter Hopkins, who left his house in Bilton to the charity after he and his mother Marjorie died.

The Banks Community Fund, a Durham-based charity linked to The Banks Group, donated £5,000 to make the work possible.

The trail includes additional seating areas, interpretative boards and new pond screening.

Read more:

While a new sunken garden has been created to provides a social space that can be used by visiting schools and community groups.

The work has been led by Horticap’s operations manager Phil Airey, supported by local contractors and long-term supporters.

Some of the Horticap students were also able to assist when it was safe to do so.

The charity hopes the new facilities will extend its role in the local community.

Mr Airey said:

“The nature trail has always been really well used by our visitors, and we’ve now created something even better that we’re sure everyone’s going to love.

“It’s a very practical space with lots of interesting things to see and activities to undertake, and the extra facilities we’ve added have made it even more attractive.

“Involving some of our students in making these improvements has helped them develop new personal and workplace skills while also giving them an even greater sense of ownership.

“Without the generous funding that The Banks Group have provided, we’d have just had to tidy up the nature trail as best we could.”

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said:

“Despite everything that’s been going on this year, the Horticap team has done an excellent job in improving what was already a great community asset.

“It’s brilliant to see all their hard work resulting in something so impressive.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

A very good morning to you and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today, hoping to help you avoid any problems by road or rail.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train. Also let me know if you have any updates for our petrol stations.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. I do hope you have found the updates helpful today. I am heading over to the news desk now but will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Ripon Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Fuel Watch: Harrogate district forecourts continue to battle demand

Fuel stations across the Harrogate district are trying to refill as the government urges drivers to reduce demand for petrol and diesel.

Some forecourts remain closed but many are back up and running across the area. So we have created this live blog to help those in need find fuel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

5.30pm – Fuel crisis ‘stabilising’, says transport secretary 

The transport secretary has said there is “very tentative signs of stabilisation” at petrol forecourts in the country.

Mr Shapps has also said that “normal service” will resume as people begin to revert back to old buying habits.

Meanwhile, the Petrol Retailers’ Association has reported a number of its members are now “reporting taking further deliveries of fuel”.

Is the situation getting better in the Harrogate district? Let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

3.15pm Yorkshire Ambulance Service has “sufficient fuel”

Trust bosses at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have told the Stray Ferret that their ambulances have enough fuel despite the ongoing problems with supply.

Read more here.

3.05pm – Fuel at Boroughbridge Morrisons

A read has been in touch to report that Boroughbridge Morrisons is out of fuel. If you have any updates from petrol stations across the district, get in touch.

2.30pm – Queues at Ripon Road

Drivers are queueing at The Shell fuel station on Ripon Road this afternoon. An eye witness said seven cars were queuing at the pumps.

The forecourt had a delivery earlier today.

1pm – Tanker delivery at Harrogate fuel station

The Shell fuel station on Ripon Road has reopened after it took in a delivery of both petrol and diesel late this morning.

Since the delivery the petrol station has been busy but it does not seem to be causing queues on the main road.

The fuel station had been closed for the past couple of days after its supply struggled to keep up with a surge in demand.

12.20pm – A picture from across Harrogate fuel stations

Our reporter has been out and about once again to get a view from the fuel stations across the town. There have been deliveries but some places have since run out of fuel.

12pm – Update from Harrogate

Thanks to Stray Ferret reader Martin for this update. We will have a more comprehensive round-up of the situation at pumps in Harrogate shortly.

We continue to urge motorists to buy fuel responsibly and inform us of any updates. Thanks to the key worker who got in touch saying this live blog helped keep him operating yesterday.

https://twitter.com/FIRSTmarty/status/1442801585449574402

11.30 – Morrisons in Starbeck 

A reader has contacted us to says Morrisons in Starbeck was out of diesel an hour ago but still has unleaded petrol. Let us know if you have any updates.

10am – Most fuel stations in Harrogate have stock

The majority of fuel stations in Harrogate now have stock of petrol and diesel. However, a couple are still struggling to keep up with demand.

8am – Ripon has petrol but out of diesel

As of 8am today all of the diesel pumps at Ripon’s three principal petrol stations, had run dry.

At Spar on North Street, which is serviced by BP, only super unleaded fuel was available.

A delivery to top up the diesel and ordinary unleaded tanks is anticipated in the next couple of days.

Photo of BP pumps at Spar

Pumps at the BP Spar station.

Across the city at the Morrisons Harrogate Road station, stocks of diesel ran out this morning, but unleaded fuel is still available.

The same applies at the nearby Morrisons’ supermarket station.

Both expect deliveries from Esso later today.

Tim Flanagan